October 24, 2004
California Lieutenant-Governor Cruz Bustamante announced in early October that an office for the promotion of trade between Taiwan and California will be established in Taipei in coordination with the Taipei-based Friends of California Association (FOCA). The California-Taiwan Business Forum, an industry-funded, public-private partnership in Taipei, is also being founded in coordination with the opening of this trade office.
Lt. Gov. Bustamante, who is also chairman of the California Commission for Economic Development, which worked together with the FOCA on the establishment of this office, noted that there was formerly a California trade office in the Taipei World Trade Center, but that it was closed, as were all of California’s official state trade offices, due to budget cutbacks in 2003.
Taipei-based businessman Paul Giubergia, chairperson of FOCA, will be director of the trade office. He highlighted the strong trade relationship between Taiwan and California by noting that Taiwan currently purchases around
USD 5 billion worth of California goods and services every year, and is the largest overseas buyer of California rice. He said Taiwan also purchases California computer and electronics equipment and software.
Giubergia pointed out that the business forum would help California businesspeople find business opportunities in Taiwan and attend major exhibitions, as well as provide services to Taiwan businesspeople interested in the opportunities California has to offer. He said the forum would be involved in academic and cultural exchanges as well.
This new California trade office is located at 7C-04 and 7C-05 of the Taipei World Trade Center.
(Central News Agency, Taipei Times)
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